How To Start Getting Traffic To Your Blog

If you’re struggling to get traffic to your blog, you know just how much it can hold you back from achieving what you want to.

Getting readers, growing your email list and making an income online relies on traffic coming into your blog regularly. Without this traffic you can’t get those readers, you can’t grow that email list and you can’t make any income.

Traffic is the life blood of your blog. It’s what makes or breaks your blog’s future.

If you’ve been struggling to get traffic, you know just how frustrating it can be. Well, here at Traffic Smart Marketing I’m all about taking the frustration out of getting traffic to your blog.

With this in mind, I want to answer a question that’s been coming up in emails I’ve had from readers and conversations I’ve had with them:


How do I start getting traffic to my blog?

For each person who’s asked me this, I’ve worked with them to find an answer that suits them and their goals and is specific to them. But I also wanted to give an answer to you as my reader, or anyone else for that matter, who’s been struggling to get traffic and is trying to find out an answer. So, here it is…

Well, the way to get traffic to your blog is to know what end result you want out of having a blog in the first place. For example…

What are you trying to achieve by having a blog?

Are you hoping to increase clients with for your coaching, or your consulting?

Are you hoping to create customers for your products? Are you hoping to create an army of raving fans and readers for books that you want to write?

You have to know what it is you want your blog to do for you, because in order to be successful, you need to know what you want to achieve, so that you can see if you’re on track for achieving it.

The way to start to get traffic is to really think about the end result you’re trying to achieve. And, think too about how will you know that your blog is on track for achieving that? How will you know when you have achieved your desired end goal?

These questions are important to answer because you need to give yourself a direction - a end goal (a result) - to aim for. So, the first step in getting traffic is to come up with your end goal for what you want your blog to do for you.

You can watch this quick little video I’ve made in which I go over these points too. It’s only 1.53 minutes long:


If you’d like to share this video with your friends and know someone specifically who could also benefit from this post, or watching this video, please share it with them.

Also, you might find this post here on Traffic Smart Marketing useful in coming up with an end result for what you want your blog to do for you:

23 Tips For Growing A Blog (Even If You’ve Failed Several Times in the Past)

You can get more help and start getting traffic to your blog with the free mini email course I’ve created. It goes into how you start laying the groundwork for getting traffic smart and gets you ready for getting your blog working for you successfully.

Enrol now by entering your email address in the box below and clicking the orange button.

Got questions about coming up with an end result for your blog? Leave a comment below and let me know how I can help, or any pointers you’d like to start you on your way.

Free Mini Email Course “Getting Traffic Smart”.

Enrol now and discover the steps to getting traffic most blog courses leave out.







37 Comments

  • Don Purdum

    Reply November 19, 2015

    Hi Tom,

    Thinking about the end result is the key! But for many it’s not as easy as it seems.

    A blog is a big part of a businesses marketing eco-system. It works in conjunction with a website, social media, video, email, syndication, offline marketing… it’s everything.

    So I challenge my clients to learn how to get very specific and clear. Specificity and clarity are our friends but we have to earn it. If we don’t we introduce complexity and complexity leads to failure.

    When we learn what business we are “really” in from the viewpoint of the prospect or customer we learn how to leverage that and turn it into traffic.

    That’s done by learning how to clearly articulate one problem, need or desire, for one person, with one solution in each individual piece of content.

    But I mentioned eco-system a minute ago and that implies we have to go beyond ourselves. Take for example I’m here on your blog right now. Networking, SEO, social media, blog commenting; it all goes together and ultimately helps generate traffic to our blogs.

    Where does it start? It starts with competency. The more clear we are, the more simple we are, the more specific we are… the more competent and focused we become.

    Fantastic post Tom. If you can’t tell you got me going and thinking, lol…

    It’s always enlightening to read your blog and engage with you Tom.

    Have a great end to your week!

    ~ Don Purdum

    • Tom

      Reply November 21, 2015

      Hi Don,

      Marketing eco-system - I like this description so much. It’s also a good one too. Because your blog doesn’t sit in isolation. It’s part of your wider online strategy.

      I like your point about learning what business we’re in from our customers/readers point of view. It’s so important to know what it is they actually want from you and not to think you know because they’re visiting your website.

      Oh yes, networking is so important too. I think it’s the best strategy for people to use and get to know how to do in ways that don’t just speak in empty words but have meaning and value to everyone involved. It’s certainly the main traffic strategy I recommend clients. All other traffic methods spring from it and work or fail on how well you’re willing and able to put it into action.

      I certainly value my relationships that I’m building up with you and others. I enjoy it too and it’s so value in what can be learnt from everyone too.

      Ha - yes, it’s good to have you add such a valuable comment. Love hearing from you, Don and have a lovely weekend.

      -Tom

  • Kim Willis

    Reply November 24, 2015

    Hi Tom

    Yes, you are spot on - we need to start with the end in mind!

    Once we’re clear on that, some strategies can be developed.

    I don’t use any one strategy. I like to use a patchwork of strategies that compliment each other.

    I still run ads to get traffic and leads, but increasingly I’m also using organic methods including SEO, video marketing, social media and blog networking. They all work. Organic methods tend to produce better quality prospects than purely cold methods (e.g., ads).

    Thanks for your post, including your short video, Tom!

    Kim

    • Tom

      Reply November 24, 2015

      Hi Kim,

      Good to have your perspective on this topic. It’s interesting to you know that you use advertising as this is often the least effective traffic strategy for many bloggers, especially if they’re starting out. What kind of advertising have you been using and how have you made it work for you?

      Yes, completely agree with you on organic methods producing better quality prospects. These prospects usually stick around and become regular readers and ultimately, buy from you more often too.

      Glad you like the video. As I write this, I’m still getting the hang of making videos. Onwards and upwards, right?

      Thanks Kim, good to have you stop by.

      -Tom

  • Mark

    Reply November 24, 2015

    Thanks for sharing several excellent points Tom!

    Being able to establish clear end goals, is very similar to having
    a plan for achieving a specific weight loss objective.

    You have to know going in, what your ultimate objectives are,
    in order to stay on track and be sure all your efforts are taking
    rapidly towards or away from those objectives!

    Excellent post!And I enjoyed videos as well! And if it’s okay,
    I’d love to feature it in an upcoming post!Great job Tom!Thanks

    • Tom

      Reply November 24, 2015

      Hi Mark,

      Glad you found this post useful. You’re absolutely right with your analogy - blogging success, like everything else, only works when you have a clear end goal in mind. Otherwise, how do you know what to do, or if you’re on track for success.

      Gosh, yes, absolutely! Please feel free to feature the video included in this post. I’d love to have your readers hear these points too. Let me know if you’d like me to add anything extra for your readers and send me a link so I can help answer any questions they might have and so I can share your post too.

      Cheers Mark! Great to have you take time to add your thoughts here and for your support.

      -Tom

  • Mark

    Reply November 24, 2015

    Will do bud! And it will definitely be
    my complete pleasure to do so!Thanks Tom!

  • Adrienne

    Reply November 24, 2015

    Hey Tom,

    That’s one of the shortest posts you’ve ever done and I enjoyed seeing and hearing you in the video. Great job with this post Tom because starting with the end result is really the key here.

    Most of the time when I ask my readers and subscribers what their issues are today, the majority of them respond that it’s getting traffic to their blogs. I was guilty of this myself so I can’t fault them for it but they were just out there in front of anyone they could get in front of to get them back to their blogs.

    It might not have been their audience and they didn’t even know what they wanted them to do other than read the post, comment on it and share it. Okay but from that you want them to do something right! What! Do you want them to opt into your list, buy your product, join a membership site, what?

    Without that vital piece of the puzzle most all your attempts of this will be in vein. That’s what I tell a lot of my prospects. I can’t work with you until you’re clear on what it is you want to achieve because helping you in the area you want won’t bring you the right results.

    Great share here Tom, thanks for this and I’ll be sure to pass this one around as well.

    Have a great week.

    ~Adrienne

    • Tom

      Reply November 25, 2015

      Hi Adrienne,

      Yes, you’re right about how people get consumed by thinking traffic is all about getting out in front of as many people as possible. I think this becomes a bigger problem the more they struggle to get traffic - a frustrating cycle of chasing traffic without a real strategy that’s right for them.

      I’m all about teaching people how important getting the right kind of traffic for them is. And this starts with knowing their end goal.

      You’re right to stress to your potential clients the importance of getting clear on what their end goal is. I support you 100% on that one, Adrienne. It’s Number 1 importance which is why I’ve created a free course for readers to get this clear before they venture out to get traffic. It helps them lay the foundations that’ll help them make getting traffic easier.

      Oh good, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the video. It’s one of my first and I’m still getting to grips with being in front of a camera and making videos. I plan more. It was actually Brent Jones’ post on your blog that was the final nudge I needed to get a video up and
      posted.

      Great to have you here adding your insightful and charming thoughts, Adrienne, and thanks so much for sharing it around. Your support is truly appreciated.

      -Tom

  • Stella Chiu

    Reply November 26, 2015

    Hi, Tom

    It is a wonderful post, Tom. The key is to know the end result that we want to have. If we have the end result in mind, we can justify the process of each stage.

    I particularly enjoyed the video which help us to grab the ideas faster.

    Have a happy Thanksgiving!

    - Stella Chiu

    • Tom

      Reply November 26, 2015

      Hi Stella,

      Thanks. It’s good to know you liked this post and that its message struck a chord with you. You’re absolutely right about needing to have an end in sight.

      Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Enjoy your day. We don’t have Thanksgiving here in the UK but I’ll be thinking of you all.

      Thanks for taking time out to add your thoughts.

      -Tom

  • Donna Merrill

    Reply November 26, 2015

    Hi Tom,

    I have to first mention I loved seeing you on video! You have done such a great job so keep at it! lol

    As for traffic, you are spot on. We need to know the end result, then work backwards to form the steps necessary to take to make it all happen.

    If we don’t know the end we end up going in so many dead ends. I know…I’ve done it in the past until I learned how to do it correctly -

    -Donna

    • Tom

      Reply November 26, 2015

      Hi Donna,

      Thank-you, glad to hear you like this video and thanks too for encouraging me to keep on making them. It’s an increasing art!

      Yeh, me too - been there and it wasn’t until I spent time on discovering what I was after by blogging was I able to start enjoying success. I think it’s because, once you know what you want you have a clear path to get there.

      Thanks for your support, Donna. Great to hear from you.

      -Tom

  • Brent Jones

    Reply November 27, 2015

    Hi Tom,

    Great start with this video!

    I just subscribed to you on YouTube so I can see more of your video content in the future.

    Just a thought — but if video is going to be a big part of your content strategy going forward, you might want to consider uploading your videos directly to Facebook and Google+.

    I’m really flattered to hear that my guest post for Adrienne Smith gave you the final nudge…

    And finally, your advice on traffic is completely sound. It isn’t just about getting volumes of traffic, but getting the right traffic to your website that counts for a lot more.

    Excited to see what you do with this!

    Best,

    Brent

    • Tom

      Reply November 29, 2015

      Hi Brent

      Thanks for your suggestion. When you say “directly” to you mean without hosting on a platform like Wistia or Youtube first? I have uploaded the video included in this post to Facebook but via Youtube.

      Terrific to have you as a subscriber - Welcome. I’m getting to grips with lighting at the moment. The sun, which was one of my main sources, is not working fully at the moment :).

      Thanks for your support Brent. I value it greatly. Yes, you’re one of my main inspirations.

      -Tom

      • Brent Jones

        Reply December 1, 2015

        Yessir, that’s exactly what I mean.

        When you upload to YouTube, what you are doing is sharing a link to your video on Facebook or Google+.

        But you can also do a native video upload directly to Facebook or Google+.

        This would be similar to what Gary Vaynerchuk does with his show. Yes, it’s uploaded to YouTube, but it’s also uploaded directly to Facebook.

        This allows a preview of the video to play as a user scrolls through his or her timeline. It also makes it easier for a user to share that video with his or her friends.

        Hope that helps,

        Brent

        • Tom

          Reply December 1, 2015

          Aha, excellent! Helps a lot. Thanks. Sounds like a great idea and I’ll definitely do this from now on (and upload this video too). Much obliged to you for this heads-up. Great stuff!

          -Tom

  • Sherman Smith

    Reply November 28, 2015

    Hey Tom,

    This is very true! You want to focus on these questions. Especially the question of what end result you want. Using tools like Google Analytics where you have to come up with goals will do the trick for you. When you look at it like this, you tend to work backwards to find out what tools and strategies you want to use in order achieve those end results. I really like the video and it gives your blog an added touch!

    Thanks for sharing Tom! Have a great weekend!

    • Tom

      Reply November 29, 2015

      Hi Sherman,

      You’re right about using Google Analytics to help you keep track of your progress, or not, towards your end goal. I’m still getting to grips with Google Analytics myself and that’s why your recent post on this topic useful.

      For me, keeping track of Returning Readers” helps you discover how you’re progressing with reaching your end goal.

      Thanks for adding your thoughts here, Sherman.

      -Tom

  • Chery Schmidt

    Reply November 29, 2015

    Hello Tom, Loved your post and your video my friend and I am going to take you up on your offer and sign up for your mini email course.

    I can use all the help I can get LOL

    Thanks for sharing
    Chery :))

    • Tom

      Reply November 29, 2015

      Hi Chery,

      Great to hear that and welcome to my course! Glad to have you on board. And I’ll definitely look forward to your feedback.

      Yes, the video and it’s message certainly is being well received. If I’m honest, it’s a bit of a relief as it’s one of my first.

      Good to have you stop by, Chery. Hope to see you here again.

      -Tom

  • Nathan Ambrose

    Reply November 29, 2015

    HI, Tom.

    Yes, it’s true that the end is the goal that should be firmly fixed in mind. For any presentation, I always prepare the conclusion first and the introduction last, as I need to know where I’m going before I can work out how to get there.

    I’ve just received a message this evening from somebody who has asked for my help but has barely provided any information. Your advice is exactly what I’m going to reply to him right now, as I need to know what he’s trying to achieve what business he’s really in.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Tweeting soon.

    Nathan.

    • Tom

      Reply November 29, 2015

      Hi Nathan,

      That’s a good technique - starting with the end first and then working backwards when planning presentations. I think working backwards is a great help for most things because it creates direction.

      Definitely pleased to hear my advice has come in time for you to help your client get focussed. This is just the kind of feedback that gives me inspiration to keep on spreading my message.

      Thanks for sharing this too Nathan. Much obliged.

      -Tom

  • Andrew

    Reply November 30, 2015

    Hey Tom,

    Great post here.

    “The way to get traffic to your blog is to know what end result you want out of having a blog in the first place.”

    That’s very true. I was, at one point, super focused on getting traffic to my blog but, the key is to get the right kind of traffic. And once I started getting focused on what I really wanted my end result to be, the right types of visitors showed up.

    Great points in the video.

    - Andrew

    • Tom

      Reply December 1, 2015

      Hi Andrew,

      You’re right, it’s the right kind of traffic that converts into readers, subscribers, clients and makes blogging success. Taking time to focus on your end result helps you to pinpoint Who you want coming to your blog. Get the right people and you’ll find conversion so much simpler.

      Glad to see you here again, Andrew, thanks.

      -Tom

  • Enstine Muki

    Reply December 3, 2015

    That’s a good question you’ve got here Tom.

    A shocking thing I found out some weeks back is that some bloggers in my country don’t even know what traffic is. I was shocked because someone I met with head that for the very first time but she has a blog with a couple of articles.

    This tells us there is much work to do. I had to get into a series of questions to help her out.

    Before even going into the issue of traffic, most of us don’t even know why we blog. Some businesses were told to create a blog and they just went ahead and got one. No golds, no strategies and in this case, they are never going to know how to get traffic because they don’t know what they are doing.

    Of course, if they know what end result they want, you can definitely help them with what steps to take.

    I’d like to invite you to share more of this on my blog on a Thursday Feature Blogger post. This may help get more to grab your ebook.

    what do you think?

    • Tom

      Reply December 4, 2015

      Hi Enstine,

      Thank-you for the invitation to share more of this topic on your blog feature. Feel free to email me with more details of what you’d like (and your ebook’s topic).

      Yes, there are a lot of people who are just discovering blogging and all that goes with it. You’ll probably find it’s the same everywhere. That’s why in my post http://trafficsmartmarketing.com/23-tips-for-growing-a-blog/ I stress in No.23 to keep in mind that 80% of your readers will be beginners, so you need to write content with them in mind. Like you say, “there is much work to do.” Also, welcoming Comments is excellent for finding out what they’re struggling with.

      Thanks for adding your thoughts to this topic, Enstine.

      -Tom

  • Peter Beckenham

    Reply December 19, 2015

    Hello Tom and thank you for sharing not just this excellent post but also your free blog traffic training program that I just subscribed to.

    Actually it was your relaxed and somewhat laid-back writing style that really grabbed my attention - very easy to read and understand mate.

    Great question you posed re what we want to achieve with our blogs and to be frank its all tied up with my “why”

    Living in a very poor remote Thai village with my family, my mission is to generate profits so I can share with my village and help in some small way to improve the education opportunities for our village kids.

    That’s my “why” and the “how to” is attracting new or struggling online marketers to subscribe with me on my blog and let me share with them my journey online - that’s my “right traffic” and I’ll be delighted to share the good, the not so good and all the awful mistakes I have made as I progress as an online marketer and blogger.

    To me “traffic” is all about building relationships based on authenticity and trying to help others avoid the pitfalls I have made along the way so far.

    I look forward to visiting your place regularly Tom that I discovered via Enstine’s blog just recently.

    Best regards Tom from an anciednt Aussie marketer

    Peter

    • Tom

      Reply December 25, 2015

      Hi Peter,

      Great to have you stop by and leave such a full comment. It’s great to hear your thoughts and your response to this question.

      Your goal for your blog sounds great. I always recommend people to blog for people like them because of how much you know what they’re going through. You’ll discover more about this - and why it’s important - in the course. But in short, it helps you build that authenticity you talk about.

      To find your “right traffic” you need to search online for what they’re struggling with. Write content to help them solve those struggles. I’m writing a post about how to do this at the moment that you might find helpful too.

      Looking forward to having you stop by more often and have you join this community here. And thanks to Enstine for introducing you. Cheers mate.

      -Tom

      • Peter Beckenham

        Reply December 26, 2015

        Hi Tom,
        Looking forward to your next post as so far my research for the “struggle points” or the pains, frustrations, challenges that my niche audience is having has not really resulted in enough clarity.

        Or maybe my preferred sub niche of “retired” folks seeking to establish an online business is not a viable one. Any suggestions?

        Best regards mate

        Peter

  • Benjamin Carter-Riley

    Reply December 23, 2015

    You’re so right when you say that you need to focus and have a goal that you want to work towards. When I started blogging, I wasn’t sure what my goals were.I now know that you need to have a goal to focus on tasks to help you fulfill the goals that you’ve set for yourself.

    I wish I would’ve known this earlier, but better late than never!

    I’m going to share this post Twitter straight away! Thanks Tom.

    Benjamin

    • Tom

      Reply December 25, 2015

      Hi Benjamin,

      Welcome to my blog, it’s great to see you here and to have you stop by to add your thoughts.

      You’re right, hindsight is a wonderful thing. Having a clear goal to aim for makes blogging a lot more simple because from your goal you can work backwards to decide what you need to do, who you need to attract as readers, etc.

      Thanks for sharing this, Benjamin. It’s great to have your support.

      -Tom

  • Dee Ann Rice

    Reply January 10, 2016

    Tom,

    Getting traffic to a blog is something that most everyone online struggles with. This is because as you pointed out it is not only about getting traffic but getting the right traffic to your blog.

    Many times when people start blogging they start for a specific reason but have no idea what the end result of their blog is. That might sound contradictory but I realized not long ago that even though I knew what I wanted to do I did not know what I wanted my blog to do.

    I finally hired a coach to help me find out what direction my blog should be going in order to acheive what I wanted.

    As you have pointed out very well if you do not spend some time seriously examining what you want out of your blog you will not get the traffic you want.

    Great blog on something that so many people take for granted is just going to happen. They think as I did that you can start a blog and the right traffic is going to come and everything is going to be great.

    Great post and really important information.

    Dee Ann Rice

    • Tom

      Reply January 10, 2016

      Hi Dee Ann,

      Good to have you visit my blog. Welcome. And thanks for taking time to leave your valuable thoughts on this topic.

      You’re so right when you say that when people start blogging they start for a specific reason but have no idea what the end result of their blog is.

      Usually, that specific reason is to make money and they think they know what to do to achieve this result. But they seldom realise that it takes more than SEO, keywords, etc, etc.

      It’s a lot more about knowing who is most likely to want what you have to offer - enough to want to buy it.

      Like you, it took me awhile to realise this too. But when you, it’s like a revelation, isn’t it? That Aha-moment people talk about.

      Thanks again for your comment, Dee Ann. Hope to have you stop by again soon.

      -Tom

  • Robin Khokhar

    Reply April 5, 2016

    Hi Tom,
    I think every blogger aim is to get more and more traffic to his or her blog. And Even I was attracted to the title of the post and really it was worth reading.
    Thanks for sharing.

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